Category Archives: state of emergency

Washington – The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of New Jersey and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Irene beginning on August 26, 2011, and continuing.

The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all counties of the State of New Jersey.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, including direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.

Middletown has issued a state of emergency as of 10:00AM Friday the 26th of August for Middletown Township following Gov. Chris Christie’s and the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholder’s declaration of a state of emergency in advance of Hurricane Irene.

Right now, residents living in coastal and low-lying areas are urged to evacuate voluntarily, especially those who have experienced flooding before.

Monmouth County has established Red Cross shelters in Holmdel High School, 36 Crawford’s Corner Rd., Holmdel, and Wall High School, 1630 18th Avenue, Wall. The shelters will open at 5 p.m. today. Please note pets are not allowed in the shelters.

The township’s television station viewable on Comcast Channel 20 and Verizon Fios Channel 26, and E-mail and cell phone text message.

Residents must be registered with the Township Citizen Communications System to receive e-mail updates and cell phone text messages. Residents can register for alerts and updates at https://middletownnj.my.gov-i.com/signup Registration is not required to receive Reverse 911 phone messages.

Gov. Christie warned potential visitors not to come to the shore this weekend, and he urged residents and visitors along the shore to leave tonight.

A state of emergency will allow the Office of Emergency Management to mobilize all county resources and direct them where they are needed to protect life and property. These actions can include ordering mandatory evacuations and controlling traffic on all roadways.

Irene is expected to arrive Saturday night and continue with high winds and rain throughout the day on Sunday. The governor said he is considering ordering a mandatory evacuation, and the county will follow suit if and when that decision is made.

For everyone else, it is important to prepare for the storm before it hits.

Middletown Emergency Management Coordinator Charles W. Rogers strongly suggests that residents assemble a kit of emergency supplies, creating an emergency plan and tuning into local radio and television for current information.

Recommended items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit:

· Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation

· Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food

· Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both

· Flashlight and extra batteries

· First aid kit

· Whistle to signal for help

· Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place

· Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate.

· Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather climate.

· Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or bleaches with added cleaners.

· Fire Extinguisher

· Matches in a waterproof container

· Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items

· Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels

· Paper and pencil

· Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children

Plan – create an emergency plan – Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, so plan a way to contact one another, such as enlisting the help of a third party in another state as a contact, and review what you will do in different situations.

Stay informed – Listen to local radio and television for information on storms and other emergencies

>I have been thinking about this all night and I’m really curious, who or what gave Mayor Gerry the authority to declare a local emergency in Middletown yesterday and what type of “Power” did this give him?

What penalties could residents have expected if they were found to be in violation of Gerry’s “State of Emergency”?

I understand that this was just another grandstanding incident by Gerry Scharfenberger attempting to make it seem that he was in charge. But I am serious, what could have happened under this circumstance? Is there anything in the Town Charter that allows the acting mayor to declare a local state of emergency and if so what powers are provided at the time of declaration?

Further more, was it really nessasary to declare a local state of emergency when an actual State of Emergency was already declared by acting Governor Stephen Sweeney?

Obviously, Gerry’s declaration was nothing more than grandstanding and purely symbolic and had no real teeth, otherwise many of those driving around town Monday and Tuesday would have been stopped by the police and either issued summonses or had their vehicles confiscated

If someone has time to find out answers to the above, I would be interested in hearing them.